Taiwan
We’ll call Taiwan the “gentler,
kinder” China. Instead of battling crowds, fending off panhandlers, and
breathing in air that’s thick with pollution, visitors to Taiwan find that this
Chinese island is relaxing to tour and warmly welcoming of visitors. And what
wonders there are to see. The extraordinary Palace Museum in Taipei holds the
finest treasures of the Forbidden City, collected by Emperors for thousands of
years. Not far from it is the second-tallest building in the wind, a marvel of
engineering featuring a massive ball on a chain at its core – it’s meant to
stabilize the building in the event of earthquakes.
Walking the streets of any
Taiwanese city, one comes upon temple after temple, each more elaborate than
the last and each jammed with worshipers. Because Taiwan had no Cultural
Revolution, traditional Chinese culture and religious were practiced
uninterrupted here when all was chaos on mainland China. Taiwan is also a place
of great natural beauty with exquisite beaches, soaring gorges, and hot springs
to explore. There’s a reason Portuguese sailors called the place “Ilha Formosa”
(beautiful island). Taiwan’s current tourism campaign is “The Time for Taiwan
is Now” – we’d say that’s about right.
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